Retirement Readiness Calculator
Project your savings through retirement, see how long your money is likely to last, and get a readiness score graded on a transparent — and deliberately strict — scale.
How this works
The calculator runs a year-by-year projection. From today until retirement it grows your savings at your before-retirement return and adds your annual contributions (increased each year for inflation). At retirement it switches to your in-retirement return and begins withdrawals: each year your spending goal is inflated, your Social Security and pension are subtracted (both assumed to rise with inflation), and the remaining gap is drawn from your portfolio.
How the score is calculated — exactly
Your score is built from one number: your funded ratio — your projected savings at retirement divided by the nest egg your plan actually requires to fund every year of spending through your plan age (each future year's need discounted at your in-retirement return). That ratio is then mapped onto a fixed 0–100 scale, scaling linearly inside each band:
| Funded ratio | Score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 150% or more | 90–99 | Substantial margin for bad markets and long life |
| 125%–150% | 80–89 | Healthy cushion above what the plan requires |
| 100%–125% | 60–79 | Funded on paper, but with limited margin for error |
| 75%–100% | 40–59 | Money is projected to run out before your plan age |
| 50%–75% | 25–39 | A significant shortfall on the current path |
| Under 50% | 5–24 | The plan needs fundamental changes |
Ratings: 90+ Excellent · 75–89 On Track · 55–74 Fair · below 55 Needs Attention.
We grade deliberately hard. Being exactly 100% funded scores a 60 (Fair), not a 90 — because a plan with zero margin assumes markets never disappoint, inflation behaves, your health cooperates, and you don't outlive your plan age. Real plans need slack, so the top ratings are reserved for meaningful cushion.
Assumptions & limitations
Methodology & sources
Projections use standard time-value-of-money math. The 4% withdrawal guideline referenced in the income estimate is drawn from the widely cited Bengen (1994) and Trinity Study research on sustainable withdrawal rates. Inflation default (2.5%) approximates long-run U.S. CPI. The funded-ratio approach mirrors how actuaries assess pension health.Good to know
- Projections here are pre-tax. Withdrawals from IRAs and 401(k)s are taxed as income, so not every dollar reaches your pocket.
- Retiring before 65 usually means buying bridge health coverage, often $800 to $1,500 per month per person.
- The first five years of market returns matter most. A rough early stretch hurts more than the same losses later.
This tool provides an educational estimate for informational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or investment advice. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions.
Want a second opinion on your plan?
Bring your numbers to a no-cost conversation with a vetted fiduciary advisor who can pressure-test your assumptions.